A Servant Part 2
by shadowedrose
Summary: Anna no longer follows mindlessly but lends her service to Aragorn instead. As they try to catch up to their friends, Anna is forced closer to her master, her past resurfacing with each step. Part 2 to A Follower. Finished
1. Glimpses on the Plains of Middle Earth

Anna looks out into a twilight evening across the plains of Rohan just outside a thatched roof hut.  
Memories never fade.

A bird's eye view of Anna on horseback, racing as if tailed by some demons or some enemy unseen to the tower of Orthanc.  
Bonds are never cut.

'I owe my allegiance to you.'  
Words are never forgotten.

A clip of Anna bowed at the white wizard's feet, a shot of Legolas aiming an arrow at Anna and then the stern look from two kings, Aragorn and Theoden.  
Power never is wasted.

The olive face of Anna is seen with tears streaked down her cheek as she looks directly at the reader.  
Beauty never dies.

'She has power within her that she does not even know of.'  
Good will overcome.


	2. Three Days, Three Nights

'Three days and three nights of running. No food, no water and no sign of our quarry that any Balroq can tell.'

Gimli trudged on leaning heavily on his ax as he climbed the last step up a hill and followed after the others.

'Come, Gimli!' Legolas cried behind him as he raced on. While he ran, Legolas kept his keen elf eyes on the horizon, looking for the black shapes of orcs while Aragorn kept his head bent, looking for a sign of the hobbits amidst the trampling of the orc feet.

'Dwarves are not built for cross-country. We are sprinters. We are terribly dangerous in short distances,' Gimli muttered as he swaggered on. Anna waited in nervous energy for Gimli.

'Then sprint to each patch of grass,' Anna replied as she ran along side him.

A mix of angry muffles and huffing were caught in his beard. 'It is all one patch of grass! There is no difference in this land!' but his fury gave him a burst of energy enough to pass Anna just before she again passed him, racing beyond Aragorn and then stopped. She searched the horizon and then gazed above to the clouds. Clear and blue it lay on them, somehow more oppressive than any other sky, like a bowl covering them so that a giant may spy on the three.

It was these short burst from her, stops and passes that, of all things, did not help their pursuit. Anna's hyper liveliness seemed to drain the others to more o a harsher contrast of energy.

She went on, no heeding Aragorn's call to halt before she left the trail. She stopped again, this time there were orc carcasses at her feet and not there by her own hand.

Aragorn's feet stopped beside her as he surveyed their armor and what was left of their mutilated faces. 'Mordor orcs,' he concluded.

'What enemy have they met? Certainly an enemy of theirs is a friend of ours,' Legolas said, letting his eyes wander the grassy plains for search movement.

'Met their enemy,' Gimli said as he saw nothing on the fields, 'or were traveling with him?' Anna seemed not to hear any of this. She was staring at the orcs, her eyes not focusing.

'He has his own ors,' she whispered grimly and in disbelief. 'Uruk-hai.' She looked up, seeing the others gaze on her. 'I thought he was mad. I- I thought his dreams were bit nightmares never to cross this green, shadowed earth.' Her eyes lost focus again, realizing the growth of her master's power. 'The white hand marking all he owns.'

'Saruman must be mad to think he can contend with the evil of Sauron,' Legolas stated. The wizards name seemed to awaken Anna as she tightened her fists and turned away.

'Saruman was a great wizard once. I do not think he had lost any of his potency of power,' Aragorn replied.

'His power must be great if he has his own army. A difficult thing to contend with,' Legolas said. Only Gimli noticed Anna's hands clasped around her ears, her eyes closed and her lips mouthing: 'Stop saying his name, stop saying his name.' He watched her as if waiting for lightning to strike, excited at the prospect of the thrill but not sure if he was safe so close.

'But why would Saruman need an army? For what battle is he readying?' Aragorn wondered.

Anna spun around and shipped her hands to her sides. 'Stop saying his name!' They all froze until Anna turned around again, fidgeting and shifting her weight.

'Anna.' Aragorn stepped closer to her and grabbed her arm to turn her around; bringing her out of whatever horror her mind was reeling in. 'Anna! Tell us, do the Rohan hold allegiance to the white wizard.' Aragorn avoided the name to prevent another fit, whether it was real or an act to prove her distaste for him.

'No, no I do not think so,' she said distractedly. 'There was a bond at Edoras but not upon the fields of Rohan.'

'They will be taking the swiftest way to Isengard then, if nothing has changed in his power over these lands,' Aragorn said, leading them on. Anna looked after Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli as they followed him. She sighed and finally ran after them, soaking her fears in weariness of the body instead of in deteriorating the mind.


	3. Sleep

Soon enough, the sun bed itself behind the Western Mountains. Aragorn stopped with Legolas beside him, the trail lost in the shadow of dusk. They had already found the Lothlorien leaf dropped by one of the hobbits and had made much progress. 'There is something strange at work in this land,' Aragorn said. 'I distrust the silence. I distrust even the pale Moon. I am weary as no Ranger should be with a clear trail to follow.'

Anna and Gimli came from behind Aragorn and Legolas. She had heard Aragorn's comment and was shuffling through her backpack. 'Here, smell this. It will cure any fatigue.' She held out a small skin with some liquid sloshing inside and a wide-mouthed opening. Gimli bravely took a whiff of it.

'Ach! It stings the nose it does,' he exclaimed. 'Of what witchcraft is this made? Is it poison?'

'Not this one,' Anna answered, and then replied to the questioning glances. 'I have knowledge of poisons and medicines. Do you want some or not?'

Aragorn turned his head to the westward mountains. 'It will be dark soon, too dark to follow the tracks. We should wait for light before we go on.'

Legolas stepped up into Aragorn's thoughts. 'The orcs will not stop. They did not stop for the sun; they will not stop when it is easier on their eyes.

'If we travel in the dark,' Aragorn added, 'we might miss any signs from the hobbits like the Lorien lead before,' Aragorn nodded his head, disliking the decision as much as the others, perhaps more. 'We wait for day.'

'No!' Anna screamed, holding out the skin. 'Take a sniff of this and then we can go on.'

'It still stings,' Gimli commented as he scrunched his nose. Aragorn threw himself down to the earth, taking a look southwards as he sat.

'We mustn't stop, we mustn't stop,' Anna went on, pacing around the three. 'We know they are headed for Isengard. We just have to go to-' She stopped the horror of running head on into the white wizard seemingly on her face. 'No, no we have to catch them before they reach Isengard.'

'Our legs are weary. If for nothing else, this rest will let is be stronger and move swifter tomorrow,' Aragorn explained.

'The thought of those merry young folk driven like cattle burns my heart, too,' Legolas sympathized. 

Anna was furious and straitened her arms to her sides. 'Well, I will go on until my legs give out from under me,' she proclaimed and left them. Unfortunately, not more than five steps were taken before she fell to the ground. She stayed there for a second; only her back and bowed heard could the others see. She slammed her fists into he dirt in frustration. No one would see the pain and sadness burning in the corners of her eyes.

Legolas stood while the others slept, able to stay awake and sing songs to brighten the stars while part of his brain was able to drift into the dream realm of the elves. Aragorn and Gimli slept, trusting his watch. Anna had laid down where she sat, drifting into realms of indecision and sadness of which not even an elf knew.


	4. Riders

As soon as sunlight touched the earth the next day, Anna sat up, as if she had been waiting for that moment all night. She turned around, speaking to Legolas. 'Are we ready to go?' He looked down ruefully on the sleeping forms of Aragorn and Gimli in response. Anna sprung up and shook them awake.

'It is day. You can follow your trail now,' she told Aragorn.

The continued running, aware of the black smoke rising in the direction they were headed. Anna had an odd feeling, as the others probably observed as well, that they were not alone on the open lands. The others quickened their pace but Anna stayed behind, unwilling to face what was ahead.

The land turned from flat pains to flat plains with mossy boulders decorating the landscape. Further off, Fangorn forest loomed, dark with shadows.

Suddenly, Anna could see the others huddling behind a boulder. She reached the boulder and stopped. With her feet still, she could feel the ground shake with pounding horse hooves.

'They are Riders of Rohan. They are no orc lovers,' Aragorn said under his breath, speaking of a peaceful meeting but still preparing for an attack.

'Gandalf spoke of a rumor that they pay tribute to Mordor,' Gimli said.

Aragorn turned to Anna. 'Quickly, is this true? Do they hold an alliance with Sauron or Saruman?'

Anna was thrown for a loop. 'Uh, no,' she stumbled. 'No, I do not think so, not with the riders,' though how she was supposed to know about Sauron, she did not know.

Without waiting for more, Aragorn left the boulder, calling after the Riders. 'Riders of Rohan. What news from the Mark?'

Gimli and Legolas stood beside Aragorn as the Riders wheeled around. Anna was still behind the boulder amazed at Aragorn's' reaction to her information. She hurriedly joined the others just before the Riders closed their circle. As they surrounded the travelers, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli instinctively put themselves between the girl and the lowering spears, leaving Anna hidden form Eomer.

'What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?' Eomer bellowed. 'Speak quickly!'

'This was not wise,' Anna hissed into Aragorn's ear, tiptoeing to look past him.

Eomer's voice softened, yet still held a commanding tone. 'Hail, young maiden. Step forward.' Aragorn slowly stepped aside, letting Anna move toward Eomer, not comfortable from all the eyes on her. 'Pray, tell me, why do you travel among such company? Are you being forced against you will?' He eyed the others dangerously. The three did not notice, too busy watching Anna and waiting for her response. This was her chance to betray them, though certainly she would not be foolish enough to do so with the Rohirrim.

Anna looked up as Eomer, straightening as a proud maiden would in the presence of a lord. In the fraction o a second it took her to come up with a response, her manner and tone of voice had changed to that of a native to the small villages of Rohan. It became small wonder why Aragorn suspected her of acting innocent for her skills were awesome. 'No dear sir. Truly, they are the best for tracking and hunting orcs.'

Eomer kept his suspicions though. 'You travel light to be hunting orcs.' He looked toward the three standing, though kept speaking with the woman. 'Would you care to enlighten us with their names?'

Anna's mouth was left open, about to respond when Gimli interrupted. 'Give is your name, horse-master, and I will give you mine, and more besides.'

Eomer's eyes blazed and he dismounted his horse, stepping closer to the planted dwarf. 'I would cut off your head, Mater Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher form the ground,' he stated.

Legolas whipped an arrow into his bow and aimed it Eomer's head, his hands quicker than a man's eye. 'You would die before your stroke fell!'

The spears tightened around them and Anna put a hand to her daggers, only able to unsheathe it halfway before the presence of the spears made themselves known as her back. She froze, as did the rest, and only after Aragorn stepped between them did Legolas lower his bow.

Anna sheathed her knife and the sound of the scarping metal made Eomer turn around, realizing her had left his back vulnerable to the girl. And now he found her armed. What had made her seem so innocent that made him think she would not carry weapons when after orcs?

'What use would the lady have with weapons?' Eomer asked and Anna, seeing her position, put her hands behind her back, away from the knives. 

'I must be able to defend myself,' she said innocently, giving a mischievous smile.

Eomer smiled, too, his reprimands on himself forgotten. 'Rohirrim women are stout-hearted fiends,' he told Aragorn with humor in his tone.

'I am not-' Anna was about to respond, now proud of her heritage and wanting to prove him wrong, but Aragorn stopped her.

'Her name is Anna,' Aragorn said, laying a hand on Anna, signaling her to back down. She submissively took a step back, letting the captains talk amongst themselves. 'This is Gimli, the dwarf, and Legolas of the elves of Mirkwood. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn.' This made Eomer hesitate and look carefully at the travelers he had stopped. In his eyes, a white flame licked his brow as from a crown.

'We track a band of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive,' Aragorn explained.

'We know of the orcs you speak of. We battled them just last night. We left none alive and burned the carcasses,' Eomer replied, carefully calculating their reactions.

'They were Halflings,' Aragorn said desperately. 'They would look like mere children in your eyes.' Eomer shook his head, his eyes softening. Anna looked up into the sky, the smoke closer now than in the morning. She could picture the hobbits last breathes mingled in the clack clouds.

'Dead? Dead?' Gimli said, each one more panicked. The words echoed in Anna's head and she turned around to escape the circle but horse and speak were I the way. Aragorn could sense her agitation and did not need her to blow up and show her wildness to the Rohirrim.

'Let her through. She just needs space to walk,' Aragorn told Eomer. Only after she lifted hands and threw them at her sides with a girlish scream were Eomer's suspicions totally dashed. He nodded his head to let her go and to have the spears lifted. She escaped the ring and started pacing on the soft, cruel grass.

'You must forgive our doubts. We cannot trust anyone coming form the east or west,' Eomer explained to them, 'for even Saruman walks the plains of Rohan in many guises, mostly as an old man, hooded and cloaked. His servants are many and not all lie within Isengard. Saruman and his servant have fell voices.' At this, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, one by one, looked over at Anna, only glimpses caught past the horses as she walked back and forth. Had she used what her master taught her to speak with Eomer and reduce his doubts on her? They couldn't help but notice her behavior become more erratic the closer they ran to her master's home. Was his hold on her growing stronger with the distance lessening between the two? 'If you come to Edoras, you will see what I mean.'

As Eomer continued, Anna was listening to her own soft voice. 'All that time, all that energy and still we were too late. It would have been better if Saruman was able to get hold of them. No, I cannot say that. Maybe they are happy now, after days marching with terror to be killed by would-be heroes all because we could not get to them fast enough-' She shook her head. 'You cannot think that way,' she said to herself. 'It's useless. Think, think. Maybe all is not lost.'

'The Uruk-hai are strong,' Anna caught Eomer saying. 'We lost fifteen of our men and twelve of our horses.' The naming both statistics, Anna knew horses were important to the Rohirrim but, after doing a little math, decided to go through with her plan anyway. She stopped her pacing and slinked over to a horse without a rider, petting it while hiding her other hide which played with the leather knot.


	5. Orders

'It is the orders of the king for strangers to see the king before roaming the lands. Will you come to Edoras with us or will I be forced to make a decision I do not want to make?' Eomer asked.

Anna broke through the circle, atop a chestnut horse who would have pushed through on his own account if let to do so. 'We will not go to Edoras,' Anna boldly told Eomer. She then turned to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. 'They might have stolen away. I do not believe the tales from these warriors who have never seen a Halfling.'

'Who gave you permission to take one of our horses?' Eomer asked offensively. 'Or to speak so finally over a matter that is not in your hands.'

'They are horses with no riders and we are riders with sore feet,' she stated. 'Let us ride quickly to the ashes and if we see that our friends are lost to us, then we will come to the king.'

'I would guess Eomer would have a hard time trusting one who took a horse,' said Aragorn. 'Perhaps we can set a trade as Wanderlust might do.' Aragorn eyes twinkled knowingly at Anna while she looked back with misgivings. Eomer wondered at this eye contact but it broke when Aragorn's gaze came back to Eomer. 'If you allow us two of your horses, we will leave the girl with you in safekeeping. We will come back for her when we return the horses.'

Anna's eyes blazed dangerously, the flicker in them flashing wildly. 'You will not deprive me of searching for the hobbits!' she told Aragorn. 'I have followed this far, I will not now stop.'

'I will not have you look upon the ashes of your friends,' countered Aragorn.

'I have seen far worse than ashes,' she spat, remembering years spent west of the Misty Mountains.

'Nevertheless, you will go with Eomer.' Aragorn came closer and grabbed a strap the horse Anna rode. 'For once, you will act like a maiden. You will follow the commands of the one to which you pledged your service.' Anna looked hard at the reins in her hand.

Aragorn left her and made final decisions with Eomer. Legolas came up beside Anna. 'We will come back as soon as possible. It will not be that bad,' he assured.

Anna exploded. 'Not that bad! I am being traded for a horse!' She waved her arm dramatically at Eomer and Aragorn.

'Two, my lady,' Gimli said slyly, acting as if it was a privilege. Anna just squinted at Gimli.

'You will come with me,' Eomer said to Anna and held out his hand to take her reigns. She tightened her grip and stirred her horse away from the rest all while muttering a curse under her breath that only Aragorn would understand. He smiled hearing her mix the Rohirrim language with the old tongue of the Dunedain probably form the inadequate teachings she received from both. 'Men and their arrogance will cause them to walk off a cliff, thinking they can fly and still crowns will be placed on their crushed heads!'

'You picked the right horse,' Eomer's picked up. 'This is Dagnir. He is only just tame and you might have difficulty giving him orders, as with Rohirrim women,' Eomer added with a grin.

'I am no Rohirrim woman,' Anna was finally able to say. She tucked her hair behind the proof. 'I am a traveler.' Eomer stared at the elvish trait, having to change his view of her once again.

'Wanderlust,' Aragorn called and Anna responded. At last, Eomer understood. 'Do you have any advice that can guard us?'

Anna set her lips in a line. 'Do not upset the woods when you are with in the branches' grasps,' she said, looking toward Fangorn. 'There are fell creatures within the forest. And if you meet the white wizard, attack before he can peak.' With that, she gave a last glance at the three and turned her horse away, following Eomer's men to the population of Rohan. Only Legolas could guess what was going on in her head for it was he she looked on the longest. A mischievous glint of a plan glared at him but for only half a second and then was gone.

They each went their separate ways, Aragorn's head already bent, carefully looking at the trail. Gimli was the only one who looked back as the riders of Rohan galloped away, their spears held proudly up and Anna's head held prouder. 'Do you think she will be safe with them?' he asked, probably expressing more than one person's thoughts.

'The Rohirrim are proud soldiers. They will keep a legend safe,' Aragorn replied, letting the astute realize why he had called her wanderlust.


	6. All Points of Middle Earth

When the three arrived to the edge of the woods, the ashes were still smoking. Gimli poked around the ashes with his ax and found a Lothlorien belt given to the hobbits. When Aragorn was given the token, seeing no other signs of the hobbits, he belted a scream of anguish into the sky that would have rent any heart that heard it unless they were already broken by the signs at their feet.

Aragorn fell to his knees, fatigue and sadness finally taking its toil as hope faded. Legolas whispered an elvish prayer to the deceased. 

However, Aragorn was now crawling, running his hands over a faint, obscured trail. 'They crawled away,' he said breathlessly. He then held up a length of cut rope and an orc knife. 'Their bonds were cut,' his head rose, following the trail, 'and they went into the trees.'

'Well, why would they want to go in there?' Gimli asked incredulously after looking into the dark shadows. 'How were their bonds cut? Not by an orc, though the knife does lead one to think that.'

Aragorn shook is head and put the knife in his belt. 'We'll have to ask the hobbits when we find them.' New hope had energized Aragorn. 'We must follow them into the woods.'

'You must be joking,' Gimli said but Aragorn and Legolas were already running in. 'Ohhh,' he grunted as he picked up his ax and followed a trail blazer that did not heed danger.

Meanwhile, the hobbits had found friends amongst the trees, in a tree. They were discussing attacking Isengard, and Treebeard said 'I will need your help in convincing the others, gentle hobbits, for you know more about the wide world than we Ents who have lived withdrawn from these current events.'

'Of course, we'll do all we can to help,' replied Merry, though then to Pippin, whispered, 'I wish Gandalf were here, or at least Anna. She always showed her dislike for Saruman, more like fear but either would help.'

Pippin nodded in agreement and said, 'She would have something to tell these Ents that would move them to Isengard in a flash.'

But Anna was not with them, or with any one of the members of the fellowship. Eomer had left her at a Rohirrim town, trusting the master of the house she stayed in to send her the rest of the way to Edoras in the morning. She sensed Eomer did not want to go to Edoras just by how he looked in the direction of the great city. He was avoiding it rather than staying in the fields where he stated he was needed.

The rest of the household was asleep and Anna had shunned the bed she was given. She did not need sleep, she said and walked outside. Being that she was a strange creature, a legend only whispered about, no one questioned her. There she now stood, outside the home, still and unmoving as a stale breeze prickled her flesh.

She looked out across the flat lands, her arms folded and her thoughts traveling the lands.

How could Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli leave her here with strange people? He had ordered her to go into a town; something she never would have done on her own. She did not trust these townspeople and waited for the time when they would kick her out of the village or show their mutiny in another way. She did not belong here. Did not Aragorn know that the first time she showed herself to the Company was a wild leap for her? Who knew such a leap would be so dangerous and take her so far?

As she wondered where the three of them were now and what they found of Merry and Pippin, she shut her eyes. She could not think about Merry and Pippin if she was useless and inadequate to help, miles away from where she could do anything. In a way, she thought if they died, it would be her fault. Those orcs were her master's and she had known about them before that night. She left her thoughts on why she did not say anything to the rest alone.

She hated being shunned away like this. Why did Aragorn leave her with Eomer? Truly he could have struck a promise with the Riders for the horses without her. There had to be another reason. Did Aragorn really want her out of his hair, or did her want her as far away from Saruman and his servant as possible? It was true, Anna wanted the same distance as Aragorn wanted between herself and the white wizard but that would be her choice, not his. And when it came to it, something told her she could not spend the rest of her life away from the twisted wizard.

The need to do something and an act of defiance drove her to get the horse, Dagnir. She had grown close with the creature, whispering many of her secrets into its ear. As she jumped into the saddle, a last thought trailed to Frodo and Sam, wherever they might have been then. 'In a way, Sam and I are complete opposites,' she whispered to Dagnir. 'He is ever loyal and will probably have only one master throughout his life. I will never be burdened with such fate.'

With that thought, she spurred the horse to Isengard, letting the rest of her thoughts fade away into the leagues behind her.


	7. The Wizard and the Voice

'These woods have an eerie feel to them,' Gimli muttered. 'As if they know of what walks beneath them and are whispering to each other of how to dispose of us.'

'These woods are old, even older than I am,' Legolas said. 'A lifetime with them would not be enough to fully understand them and yet still I know they do not like your ax, Gimli.'

Aragorn gestured to Gimli to lower his ax. 'Well, the ax is not for tree limbs,' Gimli felt compelled to say. A sound deeper in the woods took away the attention to the trees. A footstep once more sounded itself, closer this time.

'The white wizard!' Gimli exclaimed. 'Remember what Anna said: Attack before he can speak.' Gimli raised his ax, Aragorn drew his sword and Legolas put arrow to bow. The final footstep was heard right behind them and they turned, weapons ready to strike.

However, they were not able to pierce flesh. Each weapon was flung from the owner's hands in burning red hear and in a blinding flash, he appeared.

Anna reigned in the horse at the wall. A roar was overflowing the place, dripping over the walls. The lands sounded like they were teeming with activity though it needed a lot of courage from Anna just to get off the horse. She whispered to the horse, telling him to stay put and not make a sound.

The tumult became overpowering as her gaze was able to see the half mile from the gate to the tower, all covered in orcs. There were troupes of them in lines, all organized, all armored with black weapons, painted with barbaric was paint, howling their battle cry at the tower.

Her elf eyes were able to let her sense the white figure at a window of Orthanc. The orcs became eerily quiet and the Voice spoke. She covered her ears, not wanting to hear the one that had ordered her limbs years ago.

She ran to Dagnir, hearing, 'You will eat man flesh!'

Anna strove to leave, Dagnir hating the place as much as her. But the call would stay with her the entire way back. A call of glory, promising those once stepped on would rise above the bleeding bodies of their oppressors. In one moment, as her heart jumped at the prospect of superiority and fear of how to get it, she wondered who her real oppressor was.

After the discussion of Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli trailed from one cryptic explanation to another of events past and the locations of the others, their thoughts finally went to those they knew were safe.

'Have you come up with anything on Anna? Anything substantial so we know whose side she is on?' Aragorn asked.

'She is still with us?' Gandalf asked, seemingly surprised. 'I could have sworn she would have found her own path by now.'

'I asked her to come with us to help get the hobbits,' Aragorn answered. 'She is now with Eomer, heading to Edoras.'

'Already?' Now Gandalf stood, somewhat shaken.

'What do you mean? Did you have some future insight of this event?' Legolas asked.

Gandalf was angered at the blindness these three exhibited on the girl. 'Do you really think after years of forsaking society, wandering aimlessly alone, finding Saruman who surely growled horrible things, blaming men and their town, after all that, she would take to a Rohirrim town easily?' Gandalf shook his head and closed his eyes to the repercussions of it all. 'You could have given her the last push she needed to go right back to Isengard's arms and if she goes back, she will tell him all of what we have done and where the ring is at the moment.'

'Eomer will keep his eyes on her,' Aragorn assured.

'All the way to Edoras?' Gandalf asked. 'He does not see safety there for himself. And what is she gets to Edoras without feeling shunned enough to leave. What then? You have heard from Eomer that the king's assistant is sapping his energy. I have suspicions myself that this same assistant hails from Isengard. What if the two meet, Anna and this assistant? She is not yet strong enough to combat the Voice, a power to manipulate anyone's actions if used correctly.'

As the deadly repercussions brewed in their head, Gimli measured it all by her character, which he knew little about. 'What do you make of her, Gandalf? Tell us plainly your opinion,' he demanded.

After a moment of bringing his thoughts together, Gandalf replied, 'I think she has tremendous potential, for good and for evil.' He turned to them, retreating from his own self. 'She had yet to discern the two. She has power within her that even she does not know of.' He grew silent, becoming the old Gandalf again; mulling things over while he gave everyone else small clues.

'Come,' Gandalf said suddenly. 'We must go to Edoras and find what we may.' Gandalf blew a whistle into the winds , bringing forth Shadowfax and the two other horses. Together they rode to the feeble king of Rohan.


	8. No Sign of Wanderlust

Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had reached Edoras before Anna, and only half comforted by that fact. They had sped there and hoped Anna was taking her time. However, their thoughts were not on Anna for awhile. Too busy revitalizing the king, revealing a snake and preparing for battle, they had not yet noticed her disappearance from the place.

When Legolas and Gimli had time to themselves, they both went looking for Anna, using her fabled name, Wanderlust. All knew about the legend but most had not idea she would be coming to Edoras and finally showing herself. The two had reached one old man who knew she was scheduled to arrive. He also knew she had run away from her hosts, heading in the direction of Isengard.

Noticing the elf's face freeze in surprise and Gimli's head drop down, he asked them what evil would befall her and what had moved her to go there. They would not answer. After an inner struggle within Gimli, he told the man to capture her if he ever saw her here and then bring her straight to the king. Through that statement, Gimli had already denounced Anna as one of the enemy; something Legolas could not withstand, nor anyone that had been her friend.

The old man would not forget the pain that emanated from the two creatures. Strange as they were, the old man had enough wits to understand a bit of what had just happened. She had not been their prisoner before.

Gandalf had already left on 'other business' by the time Anna came to Edoras. Some sort of wind flew both the horse and herself swifter in a trip that should have lasted at least a week. Not sleeping or stopping for any other reason helped her plight and she reached the capital of Rohan in time to see the citizens packing.

She left her horse with one of the citizens. He had actually come up to her as she rode the steed through the town. He had heard about the search for Wanderlust and when he saw a tattered dress hung on a girl that seemed just born and new to the world, he rushed over to help her. She looked at everything around her as a scary new thing she had not seen before. Seeing as he was an old man who grew up with the story of Wanderlust as a fact and not a fable, he easily picked her out, an odd maiden laden with paraphernalia of all cultures. He was actually the old man Legolas and Gimli had spoken to.

From him, Anna found out Legolas and Gimli were already here. He explained how an elf and a dwarf were looking for her. Finding worry in her face, he did not mention how they wanted her captured. Instead, he just told her that all strangers had to go before the king before settling into the town.

Shaking her head, she responded, 'I will not be settling into this town.' She looked around the mass of people within the streets and in front of houses. She had not seen so many people in one place since she left the Downs. 'Though, I do have business with the king. I have some information for him.'

'I will show you the way,' he offered.

'No, that's quite alright,' she said, though to the man, it felt more like a command. 'I'd rather be introduced in my own time.'

'Of course, m'lady,' he felt compelled to answer. He was wise and sensitive to many souls with all his years experience. He knew when some mystic will was too strong to fight. Maybe she was a legend. Legends always had a funny feel to them, he thought.

He let her go, deciding to tell the guards when she left. As he saw her slink into the shadows, hood over her head, he noticed the daggers at her side when an opportune wind blew her cloak up and away from her hip. He was not armed for such a fight, though he was not sure the king was either.

In her own time also meant in her own way. She did not want to meet the glittering guards at the front entrance. Though the emerald jewels on their belts were tempting, she did not go straight to the front entrance but used her years of stealth to find another way in. Windows sufficed.

She found herself in a nice sized room, mostly taken by the large bed, wardrobe and dresser. It was empty of people though it did look like someone lived there. Anna looked down at her ratty dress, which had grown more stained and torn in the few months with the new company she had taken. She could not give advice to the king like that. Pretty soon, the wardrobe doors were open and the old dress and Lorien cape were on the floor.

Lady Eowen had no idea of the intruder in her room.


	9. Royalty

After brushing through the tangled knots in her hair, she could not help staying away from such a commodity, she insisted to herself that she had wasted enough time and needed to go, now.

She slipped past the rest of the guards to the front, specious room where Theoden King sat and talked with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Eowyn. She shuffled her way quietly and quickly so that they only noticed she was there when she was in front of the powerful king, speaking loudly and clearly.

'The white wizard has an army of orcs, filling all of Isengard. You must arm yourselves,' urgency rushing her.

But her statement was somewhat lost at first because of her entrance and the surprise she gave everyone there. Not only was she here and not at Isengard, she had come to the king unannounced and did not look the same as when the three had left her.

The purple gown flowed around her and the grey thread outlining the corset make it seem like she wore a silver armor along her chest, stomach and pelvis. The embroidery at the bottom of the dress and at the sleeves boasted of royalty, but on Anna, it seemed a pale elvish dress, nothing the high beauty would wear. Her hair was calmed and some pulled back, her elvish ears shown on their own for the first time. 

But most prominent, other than the never fading flashes in her eyes, was the gold chained headdress given to her by Galadriel. The gold lightning bolt hung on her forehead and Legolas remembered Galadriel's words. 'Wear this upon you head when you have decided your path.' What had she chosen?

The revealed face and figure of the elf, once covered by her untamed tresses and borrowed clothes, took most aback. Though, Theoden had not known her before and would not be left speechless for long.

'Guards!' As surprised men in shields came upon Anna and received a hand signal from Theoden, they grabbed her arms and took the daggers from her belt.

'Leave those!' she screamed as she struggled with them. Their grip on her arms burned her heart to ice as her worst fears of society were realized.

Theoden turned to Aragorn. 'Is this the one you spoke of? The one missing?' Aragorn nodded his head. 'Send her to the dungeons immediately.' It was not this statement, nor the strong arms clothed in rough leather holding her that sunk her heart but the terrible silence of the others.

'Aragorn! You are not going to let him do this to me, are you? I have just arrived with information,' Anna pleaded as she pulled against the guards grasps. 'Ten thousand orcs now fill all of Isengard.' Another hand signal stayed the guards and Theoden's interest was picked.

'It is about time you arrived,' Aragorn responded. 'Too busy getting Saruman's directions to get here any sooner, I presume.'

Anna scrunched her face. 'I didn't speak with my maser,' she said, her old name for him slipping out, in front of Theoden king.

'Who is this that barges in unannounced, calling Saruman her master?' Theoden asked. 'I will not have another snake whisper spells into my ear.'

'This one is not a snake,' Aragorn responded. 'A rat maybe-'

'But we have not the proof,' Legolas interrupted as he stopped the guards from taking her away. 'She is called Wanderlust by your people. Anna we call her.'

'The elves?' Theoden again asked.

'No, her friends,' Legolas responded without effort, 'those that traveled with her.'

'Well, suspicion is enough these days,' Theoden said, mostly to his guards. 'We will take your guidance along with what else we have learned, Wanderlust, as you stay with one of the guards while you are here,' Theoden told her. 

'We will watch her as well. We have learned our lesson in leaving her with another,' said Aragorn and Theoden ended with a nod.

'All of Isengard,' he added to himself, Anna's energy for action quickly catching on to him as well.

Seeing her king dismiss the elf, Eowyn interjected, thoroughly annoyed, 'Now that we know her name and her business here, I would like to know where she gets the right to wear a royal color?'

'It was the only color other than white,' Anna said innocently, completely ignoring the point.

'Is the so-called elf not pure enough for such a color?' Eowyn shot back, now seeing where she got the dress. 'She certainly lacks some quality of the real elves.'

Anna's temper burst. She stepped forward, threateningly. 'Take that back.'

'I'd rather take back my dress,' Eowyn responded.

The two would have reached each other if Aragorn and Legolas had not stepped in. Aragorn pulled on Eowyn's arm as Legolas turned Anna from the king's sister-daughter.

'Let them go. The ladies were about to brawl,' Gimli commented, merrily drinking and feasting as eh watched the spectacle.

Anna wretched from Legolas's grip for a moment and faced the dwarf. 'I would be careful if I were you. I could easily slip into your meal something less than appetizing.' She submitted to Legolas's directions and followed him into another room, away from the hall.

Remembering the sting 'medicine,' Gimli pushed his half-eaten meal away from him, not wanting to experience what one of her poisons might do to him. A slightly anxious face not usually seen on a dwarf made Aragon smile after such a drama.

Eowyn turned to leave in a huff, upset to see no one else had seen any problem with all the elf's pretensions. However, Theoden stopped her for a moment. Having high respect for Wanderlust though enough as well for Eowyn not to say this in front of the she-elf, he defended her quietly. 'Eowyn, sister-daughter, the she-elf has no other quality that separates herself from anyone except for her name. She is the same as yourself along with an added responsibility that her given name produces.'

He released her and Eowyn left respectfully, ego still bruised. Though, this was nothing compared to the shattered soul that was only building up recently, already in another room with a Mirkwood elf.


	10. BeautyVanima

Legolas closed the door to a room slightly smaller than the one Anna had stolen herself away earlier. The furnishings were not as large but just as ornate, leaping horses plummeting out of shield of arms carved into the wood. Anna plopped herself down in a seat. Legolas, seeing her already break down from her tantrum, sat beside her and was silent.

'Eowyn is right,' Anna said softly and sadly. 'I do not possess any of the beauty of the elves.' She looked up, the epitome of what she did not see in herself, staring back at her. A most remarkable thing was seen by Legolas though. Was that a stream running down her olive skin? The pools in her eyes refracted the flashing light once held in their forest green orbs, now dark with sad thoughts and bad lighting.

'Eowyn knows nothing of the elves,' Legolas responded.

'And you? What do you think? I am not an elf no matter what these ears tell.' She looked back down ashamed of her foolish confidence in coming to such a populated place. 'I am nothing.'

'You are a legend among many people. You may have just inspired the King of Rohan to come out and face the enemy, to take action instead of waiting for it.' Legolas stared at her pale, peach lips, set in a frown. 'I have only known you fro a short number of days but I can still tell that seeing you without a smile is more than unusual.'

'For what would I smile?' she replied simply. She turned her face further away from Legolas but he guided her chin to him with the gentle of an elf. Her glassy eyes reflected every ray of light.

'Lle naa vanima, Anna.' His words fluttered over her. She could guess what these words meant but she had never heard them directed at her. Could she be mistaken? Could she assume such a thing?

At that moment, Aragorn opened the door and Anna stood up. She put her back to him hoping he would not see her wiping away tears.

'We are all going to Helm's Deep,' Aragorn informed them. Then, looking at Anna's back, 'Get ready.'

Aragorn looked to Legolas expectantly until Legolas stood and, with one last look toward Anna, 'You should pack as well,' they both left.'

Translation:  
Lle naa vanima.--You are beautiful.


	11. Blood Red

Anna restocked on her supply of daggers, leaving her anklets behind in their stead. When she went back for her horse, she noticed a dimple of amusement in the old man's cheek. Between the new dress and the company she took, the strangers held in high regard by the king, he was glad his judgment was still on the mark.

Anna marched with the same company as they left the city. During most of the walk, Legolas rode beside her but something caused him to dismount and leave Eowyn to lead the horse which Gimli was still on. As Legolas made his way ahead of the bad to scout the area, Anna slowed her horse so that she traveled slightly behind the rest of the Riders. She heard Gimli rambling on about Dwarvish traits, she caught Aragorn's gesture to his chin, she felt the weight of a mother's belongings for her entire family, she smelled the earthy scent of her horse, and tasted the dry sour taste of uncertainty in her mouth as her horse reacted to what happened in front. She gripped the horse but her unknowing calm filtered itself to the horse.

'Scouts!' Legolas called out. As Theoden ordered the plans for battle, Anna was caught in the center of the division. The riders would go into battle and the rest to Helm's Deep. As Eowyn was forced to go to Helm's Deep, Anna was about to go with her but Aragorn gripped her horse's bridle and led it in the direction of the Riders. One look at him reminded her of her promise and she went on, looking back only to see Aragorn and Eowyn's last glance.

Dagnir was swept into the current of Riders, hurriedly catching their pace and topping the hill just as the Wargs and Orcs did the same.

At the first Warg, Anna swerved her horse away, throwing daggers at orcs and as each new obstacle came in her way she realized this method was not working. She jumped off the horse, a dagger in hand, and whispered to the horse, 'Run!' in its own language.

The moment he did so, a Warg came from behind him and Anna swatted at it, leaving a slash mark on its face by the knife. The Warg lunged at Anna and she pierced its open mouth, up into its brain. She had fallen with the attack but slipped out from underneath the Warg now, taking in her hand another knife. An orc was dismounted and rampaging toward her. For the split second that was allowed, the she-elf could see that this Uruk-hai did not care who it killed, only that it killed.

In a reflex movement, she had a dagger in each hand and clashed the orc's knife with one and pierced the other into it stomach. She looked down at the corpse, her first killing hand to hand. Only one who has experienced that can describe the true terror and adrenaline rush fro survival. As the other dies, a natural tinge gives a heavy heart but is quickly overridden by the arrogant moment of victory.

Clinking armor behind her sounded. She twisted around and slashed across the orc's body. Legolas rode up beside her, offering a hand up.

'No!' she screamed above the clamor of battle; her battle was with the Wargs on the ground. An orc arrow zipped past them and Legolas set one back at them. Without his notice, Anna took a knife form his belt since she was running out of sharp things to throw at the Uruk-hai. It was the orc knife they had found just before Fangorn forest with the rope bands.

Anna did not notice its origin or culture, only its uses. One of the last orcs left died on the knife; Anna learned where the armor stopped. She held the bloody knife, now standing above her kill. She looked now at the knife, the handle carved in a disgusting orc face and the sharp edges jagged. Where had Legolas taken this? She was not with him to see what he had collected of the hobbits. She had heard no news of them. An ugly assumption made itself the truth in her head as she looked at the knife: the hobbits were gone.

In a moment, the adrenaline in her body reached her mind and showed strange things; the black orc blood on the knife turned into the fresh red blood of hobbits. She dropped the knife on the ground, the handle following the tip. The blood returned black. Anna looked up, the effects of the battle lying on the floor in tangled heaps. She heard from Legolas and Gimli a calling. 'Aragorn! Aragorn!'


	12. Love Lost and Love Found

Anna had found Dagnir after he found that the battle was over. He had escaped the battle rather quickly and received little wounds, unlike Anna. She should have been lucky to have survived such a thing but the only thing on her mind was the stings from each cut.

Her thoughts only went away from herself when she heard Gimli explain what had happened to Aragorn. Eowyn listened to see if it was true. It was then Anna noticed the bond there, between Aragorn and Eowyn, tragically cut. They were both human, both royalty and the same destiny called to them, one of heroism and glory. Eowyn saw herself growing into that destiny with the help of Aragorn. That along with an infatuation with him made the parting all the more worse. She had grown her hoped thick and now she would fall on the desert floor.

Theoden settled himself into the fortress to consider battle strategies as the men armed themselves. None of it interested Anna and she tried keeping herself busy by trying to steal some food without the owner of it nor the guard watching her now to notice, a tricky business when the guard knows not to have his eyes leave you and he is constantly offering things anyway.

At one point, she was looking around for Legolas. She found him standing in front of a ghost. Legolas had already given him back the elfstone and mentioned that Aragorn looked awful when Anna walked up to the two of them and stopped abruptly in front of Aragorn, not knowing what to do; hit him for scaring her or embracing him in the happiness he brought by his presence.

She hit him, a boyish punch to his arm.

Unfortunately, the wounds on his arm made him react worse to the punch than he would have if not. 'I'm sorry,' and her eyes showed it as they grew wide. She tore the bottom of her dress to make as a bandage for Aragorn's wounds, showing why her other dress was torn and short at the bottom.

'Elves have a strange way of welcoming back the dead,' Aragorn said as he helped put the bandage on.

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli went to the king to discuss matters of battle. Anna was not allowed to come to this meeting for security reasons but Anna would not have wanted to come anyway. By the time they were done, the three's tempers were on the edge along with their anxiety. They made their way to the armory where the men were taking arms, farmers, peasants, not soldiers.

'Where is Anna?' Gimli asked. 'I have not seen her since we went to talk with the king.'

'Think, Gimli,' Aragorn replied with sarcasm. 'A room full of unaccountable, shiny things. Anna must be around here somewhere.'

'I will ignore that comment and pretend you meant it in the nicest of ways,' Anna said as she shuffled herself out of the crowd to meet them. She had in fact come here to the something but had seen nothing she could hide or wanted. Anna found a place in a corner to sit, still close to the others. She lifted her feet onto the table she sat on, looking at everything between her knees. Native tendencies never wear off quickly.

Aragorn commented on the "soldiers" being brought together in that room, though hearing desperateness from another was too much, even from a friend.

'Their afraid; I can see it in their eyes,' Legolas said as the room grew quiet. He turned away, switching to elvish so the others could not understand. 'And they should be. 10,000... to 500.'

Anna only caught a few words but she did not need to hear the actual numbers to know of their weakness. Luckily, she was in an elvish mind set and said in the elvish tongue, 'Nager dagar thar.'  
They will all die.

'Then I shall die as one of them!' Aragorn belted at Anna. She retreated further into the corner as Aragorn left. She grabbed at Legolas but it was Gimli who made him stay and let Aragorn leave. Anna jumped from her loft and grabbed Legolas's hand.

'I must leave,' she whispered. Legolas gave a mean search with his eyes at her and then brought her to another place, quieter, lonelier. Gimli allowed it, seeing the bond between them and trusting Legolas to talk sense into her.

When they were alone, Anna continued, still whispering. 'I am useless here. I cannot fight. I must go back to my master. I cannot ask you to understand but you must help me.' Her words were steam against his face.

'You told me your services with Saruman were over,' he exploded though his voice was still low. 'You told us you hated your master.' He turned back around to her, almost challengingly, 'You told us you owe your allegiance to no one.'

To this, she smiled, Legolas looking strangely at her impish ways. 'I lied,' the words slipping off her tongue as she stepped closer to him. 'I owe my allegiance... to you.' Legolas looked up into her eyes and instead of seeing the mischievous glint in her eyes he had imagined was there, the eyes were open, letting him read any thought he chose. The thought in the air was enough to bear.

He did not need to think for Anna listed her head and grabbed a kiss before any other thoughts were spoken out loud. It was deep and silent, like it was always there and as if their time apart was only to catch a breath of fresh air.

She loosened her lips form his. Still looking into his eyes, she whispered, 'I need a horse.'


	13. Act of a Traitor

'Black and as evil as Sauron himself,' Anna explained as they headed to the stables.

'You know of Sauron?' Legolas asked, realizing they had never explained the full story to her of their quest.

'I was absent from, the world, not ignorant.'

They were at the front gate when Legolas said, 'Are you sure you can handle such a beast?' He still held on to the reins. With her passionate fury and languages she learned from her master, she put her hands on the horse's muzzle and closed her eyes, communicating she had control.

'Yes, I can,' she responded once done with speaking to the horse. Anna hopped onto the horse and looked out through the gate, across the land along the horizon. She took a moment to catch the feel in the air. 'It will rain today,' she said gravely. 'The heavens will cry for those that will fall this night.' She grabbed the reins, stopping when their hands touched.

The moment was interrupted when Aragorn called out behind them. 'Legolas, what is she doing?' Anna released the touch and clicked her horse through the gate and out onto the plains. 'Legolas, why didn't you stop her?'

'I let her go, I had to,' he responded not exactly knowing why he trusted her but just knowing he did.

'Fool! You'll get us all killed!' Aragorn fumed and left Legolas standing in front of the gates.

Anna did not know of his thoughts or any others. She was watching league after league pass underneath the black horse's feet. She was leaving a trap of uselessness to run into a castle of torture. At least now, with the wind flying her hair behind her and the beat of the horse's hooves setting her heart's rhythm, she was free.

She reached the gates of Isengard in time to see the Ents tearing the place apart. She did not stop to see what creatures were against her master but raced further on to the steps of Orthanc, leaving the horse at the foot of the steps and crawled up. What with the attacks behind her and the power beyond the doors, her shoulders were raised in anticipation of something horrid.

She went inside as if it was her own home, and it might as well have been. She did not take a second look at the faces in the trees or the surprises that were held in one of their branches.

The foyer was dark and only the outlines to the doorways could be seen. Anna walked to the middle and stayed there, not knowing what to do.

'Well, well, well, the traitor comes back,' a voice mocked from somewhere in the darkness. 'Tired of seeing your friends about to be defeated I see.' The voice slithered around the walls, echoing while the source moved around her. 'Putting on a new dress to meet your master, asking him to take you back?'

Suddenly, the voice was behind her. 'What is your business here?' Anna whipped around. Wormtongue's pale complexion looked like a light in the dark hallway and his greasy hair shone in the pale light.

Anna closed her mouth. 'I mean to speak with my master.'

'Yes, yes,' Wormtongue's head bobbed up and down, 'because he will take you back easily after making such reputable friends.'

'I know not what you speak of-'

'But your master does.' Wormtongue's sunken eyes held Anna's own. 'May I remind you that he abandoned you?'

Anna's teeth chattered in anger. 'And he sent you away to Edoras. I have information for master better than you could have found at Edoras.'

Wormtongue brought his face away from her. 'You knew I was at Edoras?' then to himself, 'Well, of course, you were with those meddling creatures.' His pale gaze went back to Anna. 'Do what you wish; he is just within those doors.'

Anna turned and walked steadfastly until she came to the doorway. She stood just outside the gleam of light. 'Go on,' Wormtongue hissed from beside her. Anna took a sharp look at Wormtongue, then snapped at him just before entering the room.

It was lighter here, but not by much. The black stone reflected harshly the torchlight and sunlight peeking through the windows. The only other source of light came from the throne carved into the black stone. Saruman sat there, robed in white and looking down at his past servant, recent spy.

'Master,' she uttered and dropped to the floor in praise of his power. 'Forgive me, for we have spent too long apart. Please take me back; I cannot go on without you orders. I know not what to do. Please, tell me what I should do.' She dared not to look up for the sight of him was what brought her to her knees.

'What would you do for me; for you know first hand I do not keep those things that are no longer useful.' His deep voice made her tremble. All those long years apart had done nothing to quail her fear of him, though neither her bond to him.

'I- I have information on a fellowship. The- the ring- the ring you wanted, it's with them. I could get it for you.'

'You saw the ring,' Saruman's interest seen in the raising of his voice.

'Yes, but- but they- they took it away before I could take it. T- It was with one of the hobbits. Someone else might have it now, maybe the man in the group. I could get it for you, after the orcs, th- they kill all at Helm's Deep. You know I am s- skilled at that.'

'And what would you want?' Saruman asked, once again calm, thinking the elf-child stupid.

Anna looked up at him and then crawled to him, grasping the ends of his cloak as she spoke. 'Only to protect you, master. The- there are, creatures outside, ruining you glorious land. Let me bring back some of the orcs, just a portion, to protect you. There are less than a thousand men and they are backed up into a corner. They will dies before the dew hits the bloodied grass. A few less Uruk-hai will not change that.'

'Get up,' Saruman said as he shipped his multi-colored cloak away from her. She stood, head down and shoulders up as her hands wrung themselves. She took a tentative look up. Saruman saw she spoke true and she could not have been using the Voice with him since he had not taught it to her. Only Wormtongue was taught that to deal with the King of Rohan. 'Very well,' Saruman said slowly. 'Come here, Wanderlust, and I will teach you the words to command the Uruk-hai. You will only take a thousand, no more, to Isengard.'

Anna smiled and looked up at her master, though the evil circulating within her made it looked like she was baring her teeth. Wormtongue had sent that look before; it was an often seen battlecry fro Wanderlust.


	14. Black Speech Commands

As Aragorn's temper faded along with the men's hopes, Legolas came to him, apologizing. 'Do not worry yourself. I was harsh with my words as well. She put you under a spell; you are not the one to blame.'

Legolas did not argue with him since he was not sure himself if it was a spell or not. Even now, he second guessed his decision in helping her.

The sun set by the time Anna was allowed outside again. Anger coursed through her as she mounted the black horse and looked at the storm clouds over her destination. A lick of lightning outlined the battlement cornered against the mountains. Those men thought they could survive the Uruk-hai assault there. Stupid oafs. She wheeled her horse quickly for the Ents were still wrecking balls.

Those men had stomped on her for the last time. They would not be able to do that when she got there, in all the glory of Saruman. Her face kept its morbid seriousness as she unheedingly encountered the thunderstorm, masking her bitter tears with the raindrops on her face.

Just before the battle, Aragorn saw that Anna had not reappeared yet, and figured she would not again. Perhaps she left just to escape having to go into a battle she felt would be an automatic loss. The thought of her being tortured at Orthanc also entertained his mind but the assault had already begun. It was his time to lead, and maybe his last.

After what felt like weeks in battle, most retreated behind the last door. Light was seen through a high window. 'At daybreak, look for me in the east,' Aragorn remembered Gandalf tell him. One last charge was set up and the door was opened as the King of Rohan led the charge from Helm's Deep. The great horn of Helm's Deep echoed in every comb and the king's presence was enough to falter the oncoming orcs. A desire of strong, kingly tradition was upon his square shoulders. 

Behind the rest of the orcs, the sun rose and glanced off the white robe of Gandalf, followed by Eomer and his band of loyal Rohirrim soldiers. The orcs were surrounded and yet they still fought.

Anna arrived behind Eomer and his men while the rest had engaged in battle. She looked over all from the hilltop but could only look at the orcs. Getting a thousand would be a scramble. She would blame it on the orc leader when she got back to answer to Saruman.

She scanned the area. The Uruk-hai would not be able to escape toward her since those Rohirrim soldiers were in front of her. She moved behind them, to the side. There a forest seemed to have sprouted during the night. It ad not been here yesterday, she was sure of that. It did not matter to her though, already in the orc frame of mind. They had chopped down trees like this for years. It would provide good cover anyway.

'Uruk-hai!' Anna screamed. A woman's voice in the midst of battle stopped most men but it was the familiarity in the voice that stopped the orcs. 'Uruk-hai!' Her voice struggled for dominance without lowering the normal tremulous tone of her voice. She drew the knife she had stolen fro Legolas in the last battle. Now clean, she realized she needed red blood on it to prove herself to the orcs. She slid it through her left hand and raised the bloodied symbol in the air. She was a man-killer, not an orc-hunter.

'Sharku durbu! Sharku thrakatuluk a Lugburz. Thrakatuluk a burzum-ishi!' she shouted and the orcs responded by organizing themselves and bringing themselves closer to her. She kept speaking in the orc's language while she pointed for hroupd to go to certain places.

Aragorn realized it before the others and shouted to Legolas and Gimli, 'She is commanding the Uruk-hair!' Aragorn wheeled his horse closer to Legolas. 'Legolas, shoot her with you bow! She must fall before they are organized!' The elf set his bow and aimed. Through Legolas's hesitation, Aragorn continued, 'She is the enemy! Kill her now or she will hill us all!'

The arrow was loosed and Legolas's heart was tugged along with it. The orc knife dropped from her hands as Anna felt the arrow pierce through her right shoulder, the searing pain causing her to lunge forward in her saddle. She pulled herself up. The Uruk-hai still fought when both their arms were chipped off.

Though, the real pain came when she looked up. It was now she could see the men the orcs were fighting. The ones she had talked to, traveled with to Helm's Deep, stolen form, all fighting, all dying. And the source of the arrow within her had set another in his bow. It was still aimed at her; Legolas could not take his eyes off her. There she was on top of the black horse, hair drenched but the bitter rain from the night before, the gift of Galadriel still upon her head. So, was this the path she chose?

'Let loose another, Legolas. Keep your hand steady,' Aragorn pushed though he knew of the spell going on here. Legolas's elf eyes or hands were not amiss except for some evil sighting for elves do not miss their target. Legolas had not yet wanted to aim his sharp arrow to tear through her heart.

Anna's gaze held Legolas's own. His hand was growing firmer along with his countenance. He had realized the tricks she had played on him and had had enough of the game.

'Good-bye,' she mouthed. Wrapping the now bloodied reins in her left hand and letting her right lie useless across the saddle, she gave a final command, 'Burzum-ishi!' and followed the rest of the rocs as they surrendered and entered the trees behind her.


	15. Punishment

The jostling of the horse brought more pain to her shoulder, an arrow still lodged there. Anna was under the shadows of the trees when she realized there were far fewer orcs in the forest than when she first summoned them, or so it seemed anyway. Maybe the rest had already gotten to the other side of the trees.

The, she heard orcs screams, closer and closer, as if some prey was killing of the orcs and making its way to her. The darkness under the trees blinded her from what was happening to the orcs but she was not sure she wanted to see it anyway. The dead orcs she did pass looked squashed and charred black like the shadows.

Her horse squittered and wheeved out of the way but from what she could not see. A branch caught its way around Anna's torso but instead of ripping lose as the horse ran, it lifted her off the horse, painfully ripping her hand out of the reins it had been wrapped in.

'This is not orc,' one of the Ents spoke to another in its own, language.

'Leave it outside for the men to deal with,' another replied. Dark deep eyes looked at Anna from tree barks and she swore she was hallucinating.

She was place at the edge of the forest and being all turned around when he was picked up, she exited the forest as quickly as possible. When she found light, she found it glaring on a kingly armor and Rohirrim emeralds.

'Theoden had allowed me to deal with you,' Aragorn stated atop his horse with Rohirrim soldiers behind him. 'You will be treated as a prisoner of war. We will find your punishment after the rest is cleaned up. Legolas and Gimli will watch you until then.' He left and Anna was left breathless with his kingly air, how efficiently and coldly he handled her.

Legolas dismounted his horse and the two made their way to her. Legolas had fitted an arrow to his bow as Gimli roughly took the daggers about her belt. 'Legolas-' she started but Gimli interrupted.

'Speak but a word, sorceress, and the elf will not miss this time.' Gimli lifted her right arm and she hissed in pain but Legolas had raised his arrow at the sound. She bit her tongue. His eyes were cold and his jaw hard but hurt could still be seen in his face. How could he figure out what was a trick and what wasn't without assuming everything was a trick?

Seeing as how both her arms were shot, they let her walk slowly to the makeshift chairs and benches just in front of Helm's Deep. They made her sit as they dealt wit her wounds, Legolas on her right and Gimli on her left.

'It's broken,' Gimli commented as he held her hand. She had numbed herself from the pain but his manipulations irritated it. She tried to pull her hand away but the dwarf just held it firmer. 'I will have to set this,' he said more to Legolas than to her.

'At the same time, then,' Legolas said and he broke off the end of the arrow in her shoulder. That didn't hurt that bad. The arrowhead was still sticking out her back.

Gimli nodded. 'Wait,' Anna demanded shakily. 'What are you going to do?'

'One,' Legolas counted, laying his hand on her shoulder and the other dug into her wound to get a firm grip on the arrowhead.

'Two,' Gimli went on. On three, which neither of them counted aloud, pain split through both side of her body. She doubled over in her chair, not being able tot tell which hurt more, her hand or her shoulder. The arrow was out but a numb pain made it feel like something was still there. Her left hand felt like she had broken it again only this time without the adrenaline of running away.

She cried out a moan into her lap, tears stinging her eyes. 'You are cruel to your prisoners,' she groaned.

Legolas pulled her back up, more gentle than before. 'It would have been cruel to let you lose use in both your arms,' he replied. His clear blue eyes held pain but also hope for her.

Gimli had gotten bandages to be wrapped around her hand and a sling for her other arm. He tried hiding a smirk, not a cruel smirk enjoying her pain, but a smirk in enjoying her company once more. The injuries alone were punishment enough.


End file.
